We've Been Living our Happily Ever After for

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

I am about to leave this company where I'm currently working at and it is bittersweet that I will do it because this has been my third HR stint and probably my last, because I am shifting into a new field in a couple of months. Just like any other relationship, working here and in my previous HR jobs has had many ups and downs but the definite, irrevocable, big time up is how much I've learned. So before I leave to venture off into another world of my career I am not yet sure of, I decided to write a post that pays homage to the three biggest gems of knowledge I have gained so far.

*Disclaimer: I came up with this on my own, it's your call to believe a thing or two that I say.

1. Employees live for the moment, Employers look at the bigger picture.

You can give employees full board meals, top of the line HMO, unlimited coffee, a gazillion leave credits but the moment they get a memo, they will probably talk back. As a former General Manager I knew said, you cannot teach people how to feel. Hence, as with any other relationship, some people are not able to bounce back from a tragedy or bad moment, so even if they've like their job so far, if they can risk losing the job or being a bad apple, they will do it.

Employers, on the other hand, look at employees as a puzzle piece and how you affect or will affect the company and everybody else as a whole. You can be a total ass but if the boss feels like you generate a lot more money than your peers, he's more likely to keep you. Another example is that, you can say that a Christmas basket costs only a hundred bucks but multiply that to a hundred employees and it's a small fortune.

LESSON: As an employee, don't make decisions when you're upset and always work the extra mile because though you don't feel like it, your boss sees that.

2. Employment is all about gain versus loss.

My boss phrases it as rubber band- it's all about which pulls you more. Whether you're an employer or an employee, your decision gravitate toward your priorities, whether you realize it or not.

Funny thing is, from an employee's perspective, I believe that even though we work, the actual work we do has very little to do with our sense of fulfillment about doing it and has more to do with the intricate and complex things surrounding it such as the salary, the people we work with, etc, etc. In that case, that intricate mix, I believe has more to do with our stay in a job.

In my case, for example, I taught for a year but didnt really enjoy it because of 1)the salary and 2)the horrible, horrible boss I had. I mean the kind that makes you rethink going to work every.freaking.day. So even though I liked my kids, I decided to leave.

3. In as much as Employees market themselves, Employers market themselves too.

If you apply in a company wherein their comfort room stinks or the receiving area is very very dim, or you saw an employee blatantly opening NSFW websites, run the first chance you get.

As an applicant, your thinking is that there are a dozen other applicants vying for the same position as you so you play your A game and bring everything to the table.Right?

However, hasn't it occurred to you that the Employer should be doing the same? True, you have to impress them about your credentials but in the same way, you, as the employee, are promising them a portion of your lifetime to generate income for their company and improve or contribute to the success of the business. Hence, if at the onset, the company, or any portion of it doesn't "feel right", don't be afraid to say no and look elsewhere. Because employers work on these deals without you knowing and of course not saying it point-blank, so a company that fails to impress you on your application process might not do so ever.

Hope all this chitchat was helpful one way or the other, and I hope for my own sanity, that I'll be able to blog much much sooner at shorter intervals. Ciao!

Saturday, March 7, 2015

Dunno how many people know about this but minors are discounted and infants exempted from paying Philippine travel tax. Philippine travel tax is paid by Filipino residents who wish to travel abroad and by certain Foreign nationals.

I actually came across this fact because of hours of googling details of our upcoming Malaysia trip and hence, ways to cut back expenses. Travel tax for passengers 12 and up is 1610 and it was such a waste to pay that amount for an toddler.

I was afraid the process would take a long time so I got the certificate yesterday since the in-laws house was only a few minutes away from the airport :). I was worried over nothing because the whole thing was done in less than 5 five minutes! Took longer to walk from the parking lot to the counter! Hahaha.. So here goes:

* Minors below 2 years old are exempted from paying travel tax provided they have the certificate, which u can get at the airport.*You can process it at the airport directly or in their head office in Makati near Makati cinema square, if you frequent that area.

* Children 2-12 pay the discounted travel tax of 800 or 810(sorry cant remember) so you still have a discount of 600 or so

* Based on our experience last 2012 when my youngest sister was only 12, they dont tell you to process it automatically so you have to make the initiative to do it.

*Age at the time of travel is the basis for the discount. In Reese's case, since he will only be One year and 10 months by the time we use the certificate, full exemption still applies to him.

* If, like me, you're worried that it'll eat up a lot of time on your departure date, you can process it ahead of time because it's valid for a year from the time of issue, for one time use only, meaning you have to surrender it and get a new one the next time you travel.

So here's the eezy breezy process to getting the certificate( we processed it at the airport):

1. Line up in counter 1 of the Travel tax counter and give the minor's passport. They will photocopy it and it will serve as the order of payment. Proceed to counter 2.

2. Pay the certificate fee of 200. Fee is 200 per certificate, so if there is more than one person availing of the discount or exemption, cough up more.